Fruit and vegetable washing device with vertical circulative flow and base support for submerged faucet connection



July 12, 1966 c. w. RANSON 3,260,510

FRUIT AND VEGETABLE WASHING DEVICE WITH VERTICAL CIRCULATIVE FLOW ANDBASE SUPPORT FOR SUBMERGED FAUCET CONNECTION Filed Jan. 4, 1965 FIG 2 hl 42 DIANE w E C 2% a 5 OO OO 00 oo 5 United States Patent O FRUIT ANDVEGETABLE WASEHNG DEVICE WITH VER'ITCAL CIRCULATIVE FLOW AN D BASESIIISPORT FOR SUBMERGED FAUCIET CONNEC- T N Charles W. Ranson, 7906Agnew Ave, Los Angeles, Calif.

Filed .Ian. 4, 1965, Ser. No. 425,675 4 Claims. (Cl. 259-4) This is acontinuation-in-part of application Serial No. 253,106 filed January 22,1963, now abandoned.

The present invention relates to a washing device for fruits,vegetables, and other solid food units. The device provides forimparting to contain liquid a two dimensional circulative flow in avertical plane. Provision is included for the circulative liquid flow toreceive sufficient kinetic energy from tangential inlet liquid flow toeffect continuous vertical circulative motion of the fruits andvegetables.

Objects of the invention are to provide for the thorough cleaning of allsurface areas of fruits and vegetables in minimum time and withoutbruises or damage.

Other objects are to provide a simple cleaning device having no movingmechanical parts, and which can be used conveniently in householdkitchen sinks, and which can utilize kinetic energy available fromconventional household faucet water.

Other objects are to provide reduced kinetic energy losses byintroducing faucet water flow directly into circulative washing waterthereby allowing earier starting of circulative flow of a static foodpile, larger load washing at low faucet water pressure, and larger loadwashing for a given size of washing device.

Another object is to eliminate the difficulty of providing an extensionconduit requiring leak resistant end adapters for the faucet and washingdevice.

Another object is to eliminate the inconvenience of installing anddisconnecting an extension conduit at each use of the device.

Another object is to provide for preventing the intake of air atopenings in faucet aerators during food unit washing and preventing acorresponding loss of inlet liquid momentum and kinetic energy.

Another object is to minimize splashing of inlet water.

Another object is to prevent the wedging of circulating food unitsbetween the submerged faucet nozzle and the side walls of the devicewithout reducing the augmentation of the inlet liquid jet by containedcirculating liquid.

Another object is to provide for adaptation of the washing device tosink floors of various angles of inclination.

Another object is to provide for adaptation of the washing device tovarious heights of sink floor to faucet outlet combinations.

Another object is to provide a washing device of the type described butbeing vertically elongated and having a height greater than the lengthto provide optimum material utilization in a configuration adaptable tovarious size sink and faucet assemblies.

A number of other objects and advantages will become apparent as thedescription proceeds.

One form of the present invention is illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings wherein similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout theviews.

FIGURE 1 is a side view of the fruit and vegetable washing deviceproperly positioned beneath an open water faucet. The arrows indicatethe flow path of the circulative liquid flow. The hatched base linerepresents the floor of a conventional household kitchen sink having afixed distance relationship with overhead faucet 6.

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of FIGURE 1 showing the comparatively narrowwidth of the washing device. The

area broken open allows a direct plan view of a portion of the bottom ofthe device.

The washing of fruits and vegetables in the kitchen has heretofore beenaccomplished in actual practice by the use of a colander, a conventionalkitchen pan, or by hand rubbing under an open faucet.

The colander is a bowl shaped sieve with a base. For food washingpurposes, the colander is held under an open faucet while containing apile of food units. The bulk of the water follows the path of leastresistance and fiows around rather than through the pile of food units.The velocity of the water seeping between the food units is low due toresistance so that liquid scouring and dissolving action is relativelyinefiicient and slow. Also the food units lie static so that areas ofmutual contact and areas of contact with the container receive nowashing.

The conventional kitchen pan is generally used for washing by fillingthe bottom of the pan with food units and most of the remainder withwater. The pan is then shaken by hand to simulate the action of atumbling barrel. The cleaning action is highly erratic and inconsistent.Rinsing is only partial as the liquid is poured out. Bruises and surfacedamage can be done to berries and delicate skin fruits by the shiftingweight of the total load.

The prior art has also provided a narrow two dimensional fiow washingdevice of the present type. This device is described in copendingapplication of Serial No. 445,857, efiective filing date Nov. 29, 1962.Said prior device was designed to set on the floor of the sink, and anelastic liquid conduit was provided to extend from the faucet nozzle tothe tangential inlet units of the device. This mode of operation iseffective and generally satisfactory. However, the present configurationprovides comparable performance but without the problems, inconvenience,and cost of the extension conduit and associated end connectors. Thepresent invention irnproves upon the prior devices and providesadvantages as set forth in the above objectives.

Referring to the several figures, washing device 1 is comprised of sidewalls 2 and 3 extending longitudinally and vertically and spaced apartin relative proximity. A lateral wall 4 extends between side walls 2 and3 to provide a bottom wall 4a and two opposite end walls 4b and 4c. Thebottom wall 4a and end wall 4b are faired together by radius R toprovide a curved inner surface, as shown.

The inner surface of end wall 4b extends vertically above point A, whichis the point of tangency with radius R Point B indicates the lower pointof tangency with radius R The opposite portion of lateral wall 4 iscurved and faired as indicated by radius R The internal surface oflateral wall 4 provides a smooth, curved perimeter flow path forcontained liquid.

Lid 5 provides closure for the contained volume and is deflecteddownwardly at an end as indicated by radius R The deflected surfacecontributes to establishing and maintaining a circulative flow pattern.Lid 5 includes lifting tab 5a.

The liquid flow is introduced by faucet 6 which is positioned adjacentto end wall 4b. This provides inlet flow which is tangential to radius RThis establishes circulative liquid flow. The discharge end of faucet 6is submerged below upper perimeter 7 at the top of device 1. Thesubmerged inlet liquid is introduced with a relatively efficient mixingof the inlet flow and the contained circulative flow as has beendemonstrated 'by controlled laboratory tests. The more efficient mixingpattern results in easier starting of circulative motion for a staticfood unit pile, and in larger load capacities as compared to performancewhere faucet 6 is not submerged. A contributing factor to the efliciencyis the augmentation of the inlet liquid jet by contained circulatingliquid. A I

gross jet results having larger effective mass and lower velocity withreduced eddy losses and conservation of kinetic energy.

Screen 8, FIGURE 2 is held by frame 9 and functions to prevent foodunits from becoming wedged between the submerged portion of faucet 6 andside walls 2 and 3 during operation. Frame 9 is bonded to the side wallsand is provided with a port 10 to admit faucet 6. Thus, contained liquidis free to flow around the submerged nozzle of faucet 6 and to be sweptalong for augmentation purposes in relatively continuous fluidstreamlines with minimum eddy losses. Frame 9 also supports cantileveredguide vanes 11 and :12 which are normally submerged .to assist indeflecting liquid flow around the turn.

Exhaust liquid flows out through numerous small ports 13 in lid 5. Asmall amount of exhaust liquid and sand and grit are exhausted throughauxiliary exhaust ports 14 in bottom wall 4a. In FIGURE 2, lid is shownpartially broken open for a plan view of lower exhaust ports 14.

Washing device 1 includes an extendable support portion comprising lowerskirt portion .15 having support lugs 16, 17 and 18 and threaded legs19, .20, and 21. The lugs have center holes internally threaded. Theupper ends of legs 19, 20, and 21 are flattened for finger turning toallow height adjustment of device 1. For operation, the washing deviceassembly is placed on sink floor and legs 19, 20, and 21 are extendeduntil upper perimeter 7 is level and the faucet nozzle end and aeratoropenings 22 become lower than upper perimeter 7 and auxiliary overflowserrations 23. The threaded legs are locked in place by finger turninggrooved nuts 24 against the support lugs. leg 21 is provided with baseplate 25 to engage the edge of drain hole 27 of the sink.

Washing device 1 contains liquid vertically within a width W ofrelatively narrow proportions as shown in FIGURE 2. This lateralconfinement provides for two dimensional liquid flow in a verticalplane. The circulative flow pattern is induced by the tangential inletjet and the curved inner surfaces of the lateral side wall, FIG- U RE 1.Two dimensional confinement contributes greatly to liquid flow controland reduces dissipation of kinetic energy from lateral flow andturbulence.-

As stated above, the side walls 2 and 3 are in the state of beingmutually near. This side wall proximity endows the washing device with awidth less than the length or height of each. The device has been foundto be operable using conventional household faucets and a reasonablecontainer volume when width W is about one half or less of the length orheight of the device. As the width of the device is decreased withrespect to the length or height, the efiiciency and load capacityincrease. When the width of the device is relatively large with respectto the length or height the circulative two dimensional flow pattern isnot obtained, but localized random liquid agitation occurs at the regionof faucet water entry. This results in erratic and negligible washingaction. The specific side wall proximity required for satisfactoryperformance of any given installation depends upon a number of variablesincluding the liquid mass flow rate, the height and length of thedevice, the internal contours of the device, the densities anddimensions of the food units to be cleaned, and the size of the washload.

The kinetic energy of the inlet jet is conserved by the relatively largeproportions of radii R R and R and by the substantially two dimensionalliquid flow pattern. The overflow liquid is of low velocity and lowkinetic energy loss. Viscosity functions to maintain the entire liquidbody in a state of circulative fiow.

The two dimensional circulative liquid flow in a vertical plane impartssimilar circulative motion to contained food units. The submerged foodunits are buoyed by forces equal to the weights or the displaced liquid.Consequently, only a relatively small amount of liquid drag force isrequired to lift a given food unit vertically against the gravity force.The drag force of a solid body in nonlaminar liquid flow is proportionalto the relative velocity squared. Hence, by constructing washing device1 as described to conserve kinetic energy and to maintain high liquid.rotative velocity, the food units are forced to rise and circulate withthe liquid. 'Food unit circulative washing has been achieved using thewater jet from conventional household faucets. It was found that thefood units experience local tumbling as they move in general circulativeflow. This tumbling action adds to the liquid scouring effect and to thecleaning by mutual attrition between food units.

During opera-tion of the washing device, insecticides, fungicides, andother chemicals and soil particles are progressively removed from foodunits by a continuously diluting liquid fiow. At the conclusion ofwashing, when faucet 6 is closed, drainage occurs automatically throughauxiliary exhaust ports 14 permitting food units conveniently to beremoved from the device without liquid at spout 26.

As stated above, the extendable support portion includes skirt portion15, support lugs 16, 17, and 18, and threaded legs '19, 20, and 21. Anequivalent configuration would be a telescoping single column with a setscrew for locking in a fixed position, or pivota'bly mounted legs withfriction clamps for any semi-upright leg positions, or any number ofvarious mechanical arrangements. These alternates reside within thescope of the present specification. The present invention broadlyprovides an extendable support portion to provide any desired heightwithin limits for a washing device of the type described and for thenovel purposes, advantages, and total results described.

A further important advance of the present invention is to provide in awashing device of the type described a height greater than the lengthfor the container portion. The prior art has provided multipleconfigurations of washing devices of the type described and all illustrated heights less than the lengths. That is the obvious, logicalconstruction in order to provide optimum liquid flow conditionsresulting in larger wash loads, easier starting up of a static load, andoperation at lower available water pressures. These advantages resultedfrom the eflicient flow turning at larger radii and a larger flat bed offood units having a shallow depth for easier starting from a staticcondition. The present deviation from prior practice by providing alarger height to length ratio of the container portion is contrary todesign principles and was not obvious as either feasible or desirable.However, gains to be made in reduced amount of storage space requiredand in more economical use of material for a given volumetricrequirement are advantages of the present configuration. The verticallyelongated container portion of the device has been verified asoperationally practical by laboratory testing.

While one embodiment of the present invention has been illustrated it isto be understood that what is defined by Letters Patent is specified bythe appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A washing device including two side walls extending longitudinallyand vertically and spaced apart, a lat- 'eral wall extending betweensaid side walls to provide a bottom wall and two opposite end walls andconnecting with said side walls in unitary relation to provide acontainer cavity, and the inner surface of said bottom wall and theinner surface of at least one of said end walls substantially faired toprovide a substantially curved inner surface at the region of juncture,and overflow means disposed upwardly to determine the operating liquidlevel in normal operation, and a wall upper edge provided at a faucetaccess location, said edge to under-.

lie a horizontally disposed faucet in normal operation, and saidoverflow means and said wall upper edge at said faucet access locationof substantially the same horizontal elevation to provide for asubmerged faucet discharge end generally in normal operation, and adownwardly extending support portion adapted to hold said containerportion in an upright position, and said support portion operativelyextendable to provide variable elevation for said container portion.

2. A Washing device as in claim 1, and a deflector, and at least oneopening in said deflector, and said deflector positioned above saidsubstantially curved surface, and means for supporting said deflectorwith respect to said device.

3. A washing device as in claim 1, and operative means for securing saidvertically extendable support portion in fixed vertical position withrespect to said washing device.

4. A washing device as in claim 1, and said support portion includingmeans for leveling said device.

0 CHARLES References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 12/1908Connor 248-157 X 2/ 1913 Robertson 95-97 2/ 19 14 Rinebold 24823 11/1917Randall 259-3 6 4/1918 Lewis 259-95 X 6/ 1921 Lombard 68-184 11/ 1927Charleston 95-97 11/ 1933 Hawxhurst 24823 X 3/1953 Wagner 134-182 X3/1959 Carr 134-154X 12/1960 Jackson et al. 134-183 FOREIGN PATENTS 6/1925 Great Britain.

12/1960 Italy.

11/ 1939 Switzerland.

A. WILLMUTH, Primary Examiner.

ROBERT L. BLEUTGE, Assistant Examiner.

1. A WASHING DEVICE INCLUDING TWO SIDE WALLS EXTENDING LONGITUDINAL ANDVERTICALY AND SPACED APART, A LATERAL WALL EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID SIDEWALLS TO PROVIDE A BOTTOM WALL AND TWO OPPOSITE END WALLS AND CONNECTINGWITH SAID SIDE WALLS IN UNITARY RELATION TO PROVIDE A CONTAINER CAVITY,AND THE INNER SURFACE OF SAID BOTTOM WALL AND THE INNER SURFACE OF ATLEAST ONE OF SAID END WALLS SUBSTANTIALLY FAIRED TO PROVIDE ASUBSTANTIALLY CURVED INNER SURFACE AT THE REGION OF JUNCTURE, ANDOVERFLOW MEANS DISPOSED UPWARDLY TO DETERMINE THE OPERATING LIQUID LEVELIN NORMAL OPERATION, AND A WALL UPPER EDGE PROVIDED AT A FAUCET ACCESSLOCATION, SAID EDGE TO UNDERLID A HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED FAUCET IN NORMALOPERATION, AND SAID OVERFLOW MEANS AND SAID WALL UPPER EDGE AT SAIDFAUCET ACCESS LOCATION OF SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME HORIZONTAL ELEVATION TOPROVIDE FOR A SUBMERGED FAUCET DISCHARGE END GENERALLY IN NORMALOPERATION, AND A DOWNWARDLY EXTENDING SUPPORT PORTION ADAPTED TO HOLDSAID CONTAINER PORTION IN AN UPRIGHT POSITION, AND SAID SUPPORT PORTIONOPERATIVELY EXTENDABLE TO PROVIDE VARIABLE ELEVATION FOR SAID CONTAINERPORTION.